sshoys's Profile

Learning how to communicate with people, especially around issues like this, is a good critical skill to develop now, even at the risk of pissing off your roommates. I think there are lots of options: Call a roommate meeting-- anyone who doesn't attend doesn't get a say; Come up with ground rules for cleaning, disposing of food, etc.; Set a deadline each week and then clean out any food in the fridge that isn't labeled with a name and date; Designate specific spots in the fridge for people to keep their individual items so everyone has a space (use tape or something). It's definitely a good idea to consult with a residence hall adviser, and maybe getting your own fridge is an option, but talking it out first is best.

I would recommend thinking twice about replacing a hand mixer with an immersion blender. I love my immersion blender, but the whisk attachment on it is pretty lightweight and almost flimsy. It's perfect for things like whipping cream or beating eggs, but I wouldn't use it to mix up a small batch of dough or batter. While I don't really like my hand mixer, I keep in around for some of those in-between jobs when I just don't want to haul out the stand mixer.

It's possible that newer immersion blender models have a more sturdy whisk, but I'd definitely check it out before purchasing. BTW, I have an 8 year old Braun immersion blender that remains one of the most frequently used appliances in my kitchen.

The Williams-Sonoma website (www.williams-sonoma.com) has some mini bundt cake recipes that might work. They don't have that pan available online, but when I typed "mini bundt pan" in the search field, the recipes showed up on the right side of the page under "Related Recipes".

You might want to try using shortening and a paper towel (or maybe a q-tip since these are small) to grease the pan and then flour them. You can then ensure that the shortening is getting into every little nook and cranny. It's time consuming, so you might want to just do one or two and see if it works.

When you remove the cakes, make sure they cool for a bit (10 minutes or so) before removing them. You might need to use a small paring knife to carefully and gently loosen the edges just to get them started. If you flip the entire pan over onto a cooling rack or tray and then gently tap the pan, they'll hopefully pop out.

I think for something like this, you have to use a really, really thin glaze-- anything else is going to be too thick and you won't see the detail. You could also just use a flavored simple syrup and then dust the tops with powdered sugar to highlight the detail.

If all else fails, give Williams-Sonoma a call. They might be willing to refund your money, or they might have other suggestions for you.

sciencegeek, I love your idea of sharing appliances between friends. I'd also love to see small appliance check out at my local library. We have a tool lending library, why not one for kitchen appliances!